The Federal High Court in Lagos sentenced a 51-year-old Nigerian businessman, Uchegbu Obi, who is based in Qatar, along with two others, Usman Inda and Sani Salisu, to five years in prison for trafficking 38.5 kilograms of tramadol.
They were convicted of conspiracy and drug trafficking charges brought against them by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency.
The trio pleaded guilty to the charges, and Justice Deinde Dipeolu imposed the jail term.
During the arraignment, the prosecutor, Mr. Augustine Nwagu, informed the court that the convicts were arrested on December 30, 2023, while trying to send cargo to Kano on Max Airline at the Cargo Shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Domestic Wing, Ikeja, Lagos.
Nwagu explained that the convicts worked together with Alkaseem Kurah and Jamilu, who are currently on the run, to smuggle 38.50 kilograms of tramadol and 250mg of a substance similar to heroin.
He stated that the crimes committed violated Sections 14(b) and 20(1)(a) of the NDLEA Act Cap N30 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and were punishable under Section 20(2)(a).
The convicts confessed to the crimes and pleaded guilty.
After their guilty plea, the prosecutor summarized the facts of the crimes and requested the court to convict and sentence them based on their plea, evidence presented, and in accordance with Section 274(2) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.
However, the convicts’ lawyer, Benson Ndakara, asked for leniency and requested the court to impose a fine instead of a prison sentence.
Justice Dipeolu sentenced the convicts to five years in prison each but gave them the option to pay a total of N3m as a fine instead of serving the jail term.
